The author was the nephew of the well-known poet laureate of England, William Wordsworth. Christopher spent his career as a minister of the Anglican Church, serving in various capacities. Regarding hymns, he wrote, “The first duty of a hymn-writer is to teach doctrine, and thus to save souls.” Though he was an accomplished writer and poet, he was careful to avoid language in his hymns that he felt was obscure. This hymn is a fine example of what he meant.